Arcadia Black Heart Ale

Brewed by Arcadia Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Battle Creek, Michigan USA

The pour reveals a black color with brown highlights and a thin light brown head. Good aroma and flavor of chocolate and hops with a bitter finish, there’s a distinct dry-hopping signature there. The body is light with a liquorous and the carbonation is soft. This is the second porter in a row that I had at Arcadia, while I prefer the London Porter I think this one is different and interesting.

tap at brewpub-pours deep brown with a very small white head. noce of earthy hops and sour yeast. some wierd sour flavors here of baking chocolate and just off-flavors. prickly carbonation. really an odd beer. suposed to be a mix of starboard and london porter. I would have never guessed.

(draft) Brown-black body with tan head, nice lacing. Aroma is medium sweet, coffee, roast, citrus. Taste is medium sweet, roast, coffee, come citrus, cherry. Watery light-medium body.

Draft sampler at MBG Winterfest. Poured a dark brown with an average light brown head that lasted and had good lacing. Good sweet roasted malt aroma. Medium to full body. Same good porter flavor with a hoppy balanced bite at the finish. Very interesting and good brew.

Sampled at the Michigan Winter Beer Fest, Lansing. A fine example of a piney, hoppy porter with chocolate and coffee also appearing in the aroma and flavor. Slightly buttery. Bitter aftertaste. An interesting complement to the maltier London Porter. This was a better offering than the Bourbon Barrel Shipwreck Porter also featured at the fest.

Had this on tap 2006-02-20 at the Arcadia Brewing Company. Was told it was like the London Porter but with more distinctive flavors. It was quite nice with a little bite but very smooth. I wish I could say more but I’ll have to wait til I have it again and have some paper handy.